The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announced on Monday, July 4, the completion of a new episode in the criminal case generically called “bank fraud”. This episode concerns former governor Dorin Drăguțanu and former deputy governors Ion Sturza and Emma Tăbârță. Prosecutors have seized the assets of the former governor of the NBM, in the total amount of 1,684,072.01 lei, and the assets of a former deputy governor of the NBM, in the total amount of 2,480,660.3 lei.

According to a press release issued by the PA, the former governor and the two former deputy governors of the NBM are accused of complicity in the commission of the crime of swindling, committed with the use of their official position, by a criminal organisation, in particularly large proportions, as well as money laundering, committed by several persons, with the use of their official position, by a criminal organisation, in particularly large proportions.

At this stage of the prosecution and in view of the evidence, the prosecutors in the case have separated the criminal case against a former governor and a former deputy governor of the NBM from the basic case file known generically as “bank fraud”, and the criminal proceedings against them have been terminated.

In the case of the other former deputy governor of the NBM, the Public Prosecutor’s Office states that the criminal proceedings against him could not be terminated “because he was undergoing treatment abroad, circumstances which were confirmed by medical documents submitted by his lawyer”.

The anti-corruption prosecutors have seized the assets of the former NBM governor, totalling 1,684,072.01 lei, and the assets of a former NBM deputy governor, totalling 2,480,660.3 lei for the purpose of repairing the damage caused by the offence and possible special confiscation.

Thus, according to the indictment cited by the Prosecutor’s Office, in 2014, the former governor of the NBM, as well as two other deputy governors, “acting in the interests of the criminal organization led by Vladimir Plahotniuc, developed and implemented a well-determined plan to embezzle large proportions of financial means from the national banking system”.

“According to the evidence, prosecutors found that the criminal organization led by Vladimir Plahotniuc was made up of several organized criminal groups, including the organized criminal group led by Veaceslav Platon, the criminal group led by Vladimir Andronachi and the organized criminal group led by Ilan Shor. The latter in turn controlled de facto, through intermediaries, the banks BC “Unibank” SA, BC “Banca Socială” SA, Banca de Economii SA.

Therefore, during 2014, the Governor of the NBM, as well as the two Deputy Governors of the NBM, as persons affiliated with the criminal organization, removed obstacles and provided the necessary tools to carry out the embezzlement of money at the disposal of BC “Unibank” SA, BC “Banca Socială” SA and Banca de Economii SA, including by approving in the governing bodies of the mentioned banks persons affiliated with the organized criminal group led by Ilan Șor and by not intervening in the defective activity of these banks,” the AP statement reads.

According to law enforcement officers, members of the criminal organization allegedly stole money in the amount of about 2,544,782,105.6 lei and integrated the stolen money into the legal circuit of the Republic of Moldova and other countries.

At the same time, in the criminal proceedings, the Ministry of Finance was recognized as an injured party, given the amount of damage of 13 583 717 000 lei caused by the crime.

Similarly, the Ministry of Finance was recognised as a civil party in view of the civil action brought in the amount of 22 929 882 634, 52 lei.